The drive back from Rochester was uneventful, but on the way I realized that I had driven 13 hours over 30 hours. It was a lot of driving for me.

I got home around 5 p.m. and boiled some ziti and added two packages of basil pesto I’d frozen last year, topped with a sprinkling of parmesan. It was delish and I was in bed by 9 p.m.

The night before, I had taken everything for dinner, figuring on about six people. It turned out we were 10 family members, but with a big salad, two boxes of rigatoni, two enormous disposable pots of Sunday gravy sauce (with four kinds of meat in it) and garlic bread, we had almost enough food for all.

My sister-in-law, Roslyn, had made peanut butter cookies.

There were so many memories in her home, including the first time I’d met my soon-to-be husband. We had such a good time that night, but we knew it might be the last time we would all be together. Two days later, Roslyn, her daughter, Jamisyn, and Jamisyn’s daughter left East Bloomfield, N.Y., with Ros’s border collie, heading out for Jamie’s home in New Mexico. It may be a long visit for Roslyn, or it may be forever.

In any case, I had not made a big dinner for three months, since the pandemic curtailed the spring. The day after I returned home, I raided the freezer in my garage and found some red shrimp I had bought at Trader Joe’s, maybe a year ago or maybe longer than that. I remembered being excited when I bought it because the only red shrimp I’d seen was from Stonington Seafood.

The Bomsters, who owned Stonington Seafood, sold only the seafood they had caught themselves, on their own boat, where they were able to flash-freeze within minutes.

Do you remember when, getting seafood there, you picked up your fish from a freezer and left the money on an honor system?

Anyway, I thawed the Trader Joe’s shrimp in a colander, then dried it and made scampi. (By the way, scampi is the Italian name for shrimp, so there is really no reason to call it shrimp scampi). It made a whole lot, so I topped the scampi on a pound of linguine and shared it with my neighbors.

Scampi

Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons butter

8 to 10 cloves garlic, minced

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup (or a little more) good white wine

1 pound extra-large shrimp, shelled, deveined, dried

a little chicken broth for extra liquid, if needed

20 to 25 grape tomatoes, halved (optional)

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons butter

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

fresh Italian parsley, chopped

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese (optional)

Bring stockpot of water over high heat. While water is coming to a boil, in a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Add garlic; saute for 30 to 45 seconds. Add white wine and allow to reduce. Add zest and stir.

Reduce heat and add shrimp. When they turn pink and curl up, turn them over. When done, add tomatoes (if using) and lemon juice and cook for another few minutes. Add another 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook for a minute. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss with parsley (or toss parsley when serving).

Meanwhile, liberally salt boiling water and add pasta. Cook just until al dente. Drain pasta, and then add to sauce. Toss. Serve hot (and, although Italian purists cringe, I also serve freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese).

On the Side

Am I the only one watching way too much television? Well, maybe not as much as my daughter and her husband, both of whom are working at home. We talk every day, usually, often about food, books, weather and television. Recently she said I had to watch "Somebody Feed Phil." Phil is Phil Rosenthal, the writer, director and producer of "Everybody Loves Raymond."

For the past three years, Phil and his team (one of whom is his brother, Richard) travel around the world and he eats with friends, strangers and anyone who will feed him. I have watched seven episodes, from Marrakesh to Chicago. He is adorable and funny and sweet, with a face that lights up when he eats.

At the end, he FaceTimes his dad, who is in his 90s. This may be the nicest television show I have watched in years.

Somebody Feed Phil, available on Netflix

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.